Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and strengthen cooperation between the two institutions in the fields of development and humanitarian aid for OIC member states.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, with a ceremony held at the OIC General Secretariat building in Jeddah. This memorandum of understanding aims to unite the knowledge, expertise and communication networks of both institutions in their respective fields.
The agreement plans to facilitate cooperation on international development goals through shared objectives. It aims to cooperate in development, reduce poverty, and develop and strengthen cooperation between institutions in the fields of development and humanitarian aid within OIC member states, especially those affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
This agreement includes important goals such as reducing poverty and providing more effective assistance to communities affected by disasters by increasing development cooperation between the parties.
The memorandum of understanding covers carrying out development cooperation projects in various fields such as poverty reduction in OIC member states and the development education, healthcare, water, hygiene, and sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural and urban areas. This memorandum of understanding also includes providing technical and development assistance to public institutions for implementing social and economic programs, and organizing capacity-building training for OIC personnel and the relevant institutions of OIC member states.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar highlighted “the significant role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation” and stated that “the cooperation between TİKA and the OIC will be further strengthened thanks to this memorandum of understanding.”
The Secretary General of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha noted that “they follow TİKA’s projects all over the world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, with great interest,” and he “expressed his hope that the signed agreement would be beneficial.”
The signed memorandum of understanding is considered a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations between the parties and cooperating in joint development projects.
Within the “10 Fundamental Works Project,” implemented by the support of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), 10,000 books (1,000 sets) were distributed to 64 school libraries where the education is provided in Turkish across 28 municipalities in North Macedonia.
As part of the project, whose first stage was completed in 2020 and the second in 2022, a total of 20,000 books in two sets were distributed. This year, the third stage of the project was implemented in cooperation with the Association of Zor as well. Within the scope of the project, the “10 Fundamental Works – Set 3,” prepared with Turkish books used as supplemental resources in primary schools according to the plan and program of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia, was delivered to students of schools providing education in Turkish across the country.
The closing ceremony of the project was held at the Gostivar Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Primary School. TİKA’s Coordinator in Skopje, Mehmet Bayrak; the State Advisor of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia, Gönül Bayraktar; the President of MATÜSİTEB (The Union of Turkic Non-Governmental Organizations of Macedonia), Tahsin İbrahim; the Principal of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Primary School, Nuri Mazlam; the President of the Association of Zor, Hacer Sulooca; the owner of Yeni Balkan Publishing House, Mürteza Sulooca, teachers and students attended the delivery ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President of the Association of Zor, Hacer Sulooca stated that a total of 30,000 books in 3 sets have been distributed so far with the support of TİKA and the organization of Yeni Balkan Publishing House and the Association of Zor. She expressed her gratitude to TİKA, noting that it was not an easy process and they could not have achieved it without Türkiye’s support.
Stating that they pay special attention to education while implementing projects, TİKA’s Coordinator in Skopje, Mehmet Bayrak pointed out that they have supported 376 projects and activities in the education field in the Republic of North Macedonia so far. He also underlined that projects carried out in the education field are direct investments in the country’s future.
Following the program, students read excerpts of the poems and stories in the books.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a “Leathercraft Workshop” within the Herat Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, operating in the western region of Afghanistan.
Leather processing machines and necessary technical equipment provided by TİKA were delivered to the officials with a ceremony.
The Republic of Türkiye’s Consul General to Herat, Sinan İlhan; TİKA’s Coordinator in Herat, Arafat Deniz; the Officer in Charge of UN Women in Afghanistan’s Western Region, Claire van Loveren; the Head of the Herat Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bahnaz Saljoqi and the Principal of the Herat Girls High School of the Turkish Maarif Foundation, Merziye Muhammedi attended the delivery ceremony.
The Republic of Türkiye’s Consul General to Herat, İlhan stated that Türkiye always stands by Afghanistan, and will continue to support the Afghan people in the future by sharing Türkiye’s experiences with them.
TİKA’s Coordinator in Herat, Deniz expressed that TİKA always prioritizes professional fields and occupational groups, and they will continue to work on the production and employment projects.
Deniz emphasized that Afghanistan is rich in rawhide, but it is sold abroad as it is not processed. He also underlined that large amounts of money are paid for the products that are reimported as processed leather. He noted that products such as belts, wallets, bags, slippers will be produced by processing the rawhide at the leather workshop, and vocational training will be provided in this field.
The Head of the Herat Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saljoqi expressed her gratitude to Türkiye and TİKA, highlighting TİKA’s continuous cooperation. Saljogi pointed out that the quality and diversity of the products, which will be sold in both local and international markets, are going to increase thanks to TİKA’s support.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a sewing workshop within the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, operating in the city of Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With the sewing machines provided by TİKA as part of the women’s economic empowerment project, the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association increased its production capacities, providing more employment opportunities for women residing in the region.
Established in 2007 to conserve traditional handicrafts such as knitting, the association extended its activities and started to implement social responsibility projects as well in the following years.
With approximately 1,700 members, the association employed at least 10 more women thanks to the workshop established to produce traditional folk dance costumes.
Representing the Central Bosnia Canton, the Minister of Construction, Urban Planning and Environmental Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Amir Šečibović; Mayor of Bugojno, Hasan Ajkunić; TİKA’s Coordinator in Sarajevo, Erdinç Işık; the President of the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, Šida Kalbić and women members of the association attended the opening ceremony of the sewing workshop.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Šečibović congratulated the association on behalf of the Government of the Central Bosnia Canton for their exemplary work in Bosnia and Herzegovina through their activities and their significant contributions to women’s employment in the region. He also thanked TİKA for their support to the project.
The President of the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, Kalbić expressed her gratitude to TİKA on behalf of all the women who will benefit from the sewing workshop and have the opportunity to earn an income.
Kalbić stated that they contributed to the treatment of many patients, and took part in many social responsibility projects thanks to the income gained from clothes sales and donations collected through the campaigns they are implementing.
Volunteer medical teams from the Yeryüzü Doktorları Foundation in Mozambique successfully delivered a baby whose umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck risking his mother’s life. This was the first birth to take place at the health center renovated by TİKA.
Doctors from the Yeryüzü Doktorları Foundation continue their voluntary healthcare service at the Ndlavela Health Center in Maputo, Mozambique.
Turkish doctors, who traveled to Mozambique in cooperation with TİKA to identify health problems in the region and train local health personnel, delivered the first baby at the clinic. In this first birth, a baby, whose umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and risked his mother’s life, was born without difficulty.
Following this successful operation, a second baby was born healthy and named “Kaan” at his mother’s request.
In the country, where maternal and infant health problems are prevalent with 28 babies and 452 mothers losing their lives for every 1,000 births, volunteer medical teams continue their examinations and treatments.
Performing health screenings in the capital Maputo, doctors provide training to local health personnel at the Ndlavela Health Center, which was renovated by TİKA, and later guide health professionals in examining local people.
In Mozambique, where 295,775 children left their homes due to conflicts and face hygiene issues, doctors from the Foundation of Yeryüzü Doktorları provide training to local personnel on the fields of gynecology and pediatrics to support the health infrastructure. They also aim to raise awareness among mothers and children in the region.
In the country, where the world’s largest HIV epidemics are experienced and approximately 2.5 million people are infected, doctors from the Foundation of Yeryüzü Doktorları continue their training programs in this field as well.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided material and equipment support to the Orphan Children Education Center within the Association Al-Nour, which operates in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, for the benefit of orphans and impoverished children and provides free accommodation to students.
The physical conditions of the center were improved to better serve disadvantaged children and young people in Senegal. Within the scope of TİKA’s project, a 12-person meeting room table, a sofa set, carpets, study tables and chairs, 10 wooden bunk beds, 20 mattresses, 25 wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, a deep freezer, a mini oven, a sebil (water fountain), a water purifier, a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, an iron, a projector and a computer were provided.
The association’s building will be able to host 20 more students thanks to the equipment support.
At the project’s opening ceremony, speakers expressed their gratitude to Türkiye for the support provided by TİKA to date in Senegal.
About the Association Al-Nour
The association, which provides regular financial support four times a year to 194 orphaned and poor children between the ages of 4 and 18, organizes additional courses to support their school lessons. Providing free accommodation opportunity for 12 university students in Dakar, the association, in cooperation with the Hayrat Humanitarian Aid Association, opened 48 water wells in Senegal, and carries out events on the occasion of Eid al-Adha every year.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) carried out maintenance and repair work on the “Hasan Rıza Pasha Martyrs’ Memorial,” the only Turkish monument in Albania.
A monument was built in Shkodër, Albania in 2007 by the General Staff of the Republic of Türkiye and the Ministry of National Defense in memory of Hasan Rıza Pasha, who was the Governor of Shkodër during the Balkan War and was assassinated on January 30, 1913 while defending the city against Montenegrins.
Every year commemorative ceremonies on the occasion of the 18th March Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day are held at the monument, which are organized with the support of the Republic of Türkiye’s Embassy in Tirana and with the participation of representatives from Turkish institutions and organizations in Albania. The monument now has a modern appearance thanks to the maintenance and repair work carried out by TİKA.
Through the maintenance and repair works, the aim is to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between Albania and Türkiye, and to contribute to the preservation of the common historical heritage of two countries.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established the Robotic Coding and Research Center within the Azerbaijan International Cultural Center in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The “Azerbaijan International Cultural Center,” established by TİKA and the Azerbaijan-Cyprus Friendship Society in Kyrenia, Lapithos, was put into service with an official ceremony.
At the ceremony, the bust of Heydar Aliyev, the National Leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was unveiled and the “Azerbaijan in Our Heart” photography exhibition was inaugurated. Additionally, a conference themed “The Future of Relations between Türkiye-Azerbaijan-TRNC” was held.
The President of the TRNC, Ersin Tatar; Assembly Speaker Zorlu Töre; Prime Minister Ünal Üstel; the chairmen of the Azerbaijan-TRNC and Türkiye-TRNC Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Groups, deputies, ministers and many other guests attended the opening ceremony of the center.
As part of the opening, a briefing was given about the Robotic Coding and Research Center, established at the end of 2023 with TİKA’s support.
The opening of the “Ozan-Ashik Culture: Historical Roots, New Approaches and Perspectives Symposium”, supported by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), was hosted by Khazar University.
At the opening ceremony, speakers drew attention to the significance of traditional instruments such as bağlama and komuz in Turkish culture, and thanked to everyone who contributed to organizing the event. Saz artists and academicians from the Turkic Republics, particularly from Azerbaijan and Türkiye, attended the symposium. Participants hailing from friendly and brotherly countries, who share a common language, history and cultural ties, organized various events for two days to conserve and popularize the art of ozan-ashik.
First Day: Scientific Presentations and Exchange of Ideas
On the first day of the symposium, academicians gave scientific presentations, and shared detailed information on the past, present and future of the art of ozan-ashik. Participants discussed different aspects of this art form, and exchanged ideas on how to pass it down to future generations.
Second Day: International Concert Program
On the second day of the symposium, an international concert program was held. Manaschis, bakhshis, ashiks and ozans invited from Türkiye, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan presented participants with an unforgettable musical feast.
TİKA Supports Cultural Events
TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku, Hayrettin Özçelik stated that TİKA always supports events organized to strengthen cultural ties between brother countries and communities. Özçelik expressed that simultaneously with these events, they also supported the 3rd Turkic World Literature and Book Festival, hosted by Baku, as well as the Turkic World Panel.
The Ozan-Ashik Art Symposium serves as a significant platform to conserve the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world and pass it on to the future. The symposium also allows participants to share their common cultural values and develop new perspectives.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided agricultural equipment support to farmers operating in village cooperatives affiliated with the Municipality of Birni N’Gaouré in the Dosso region, one of the areas with the most intensive agricultural production in Niger.
As natural factors such as recent droughts and global warming have reduced agricultural production in Niger, policies aimed at strengthening the agricultural infrastructure of the country have grown in importance. The Nigerien government has prioritized industrializing agricultural production processes and supporting innovative technologies.
On the other hand, in the country, where access to agricultural technologies and mechanisation opportunities is limited, planting, harvesting and tillage activities are still mostly carried out using animal power or manual labor.
TİKA Stands With Nigerien Farmers
TİKA supports agricultural activities in Niger, one of the countries most affected by the negative effects of climate change.
TİKA provided agricultural equipment such as hand tractors and manual seed drills to farmers operating in the village cooperatives of Anniya, Yobbi, Etti, Gomni and Sourou in the Municipality of Birni N’Gaouré in the Dosso region, one of the regions with the most intensive agricultural production.
A total of 10 hand tractors and 20 manual seed drills and plows were distributed to farmers for use in agricultural processes.
Practical training on the use of the machinery was provided to the cooperative authorities to increase productivity. Nearly 200 families are anticipated to benefit from this project.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Unit within the health center in the Qalandia Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem.
The Qalandia Refugee Camp, one of the largest in Palestine and established in 1949, has been isolated from Jerusalem due to the separation wall and checkpoint built in the 2000s.
Unemployment, which reached record levels after the Gaza war, high population density and continuous Israeli attacks have negatively affected the social fabric of the camp, and have been further complicating the economic conditions day by day.
Healthcare services in the camp are usually provided by the UNRWA. However, the health center within the refugee camp provides basic healthcare services only to mothers and children due to budget constraints. Additionally, there is a health center operated by the Qalandia Refugee Camp Committee which provides free or low-cost rehabilitation and treatment services to individuals with disabilities.
The Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Unit, established by TİKA within the health center, was equipped with various exercise and rehabilitation equipment such as combined ultrasound device, neurostimulator, walking bar, agility ladder, shoulder wheel, balance board and therapy bed.
The health center provides service to impoverished patients in the Qalandia Refugee Camp, as well as those in the neighborhoods behind the separation wall in Jerusalem.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) supported the installation of a total of 1500 m2 of greenhouses for 30 families in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
TİKA provided greenhouse installation support to 30 families in the Municipality of Kakanj in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within the scope of the project, a total of 1500 m2 of greenhouse was installed for families who are members of six different women’s associations. The Municipality of Kakanj also supported the project by providing vegetable seedlings. The municipality aims to encourage agricultural activities in the region by supporting the establishment of sales areas for the products and participation in exhibitions.
The Major of Kakanj, Mirnes Bajtarević and TİKA representatives visited the project beneficiaries at the delivery ceremony. Stating that the project has been successful, Mayor Bajtarević expressed his gratitude to TİKA for contributing to the increase and diversification of production activities.
Expressing their appreciation for the project, the presidents of the associations highlighted that they prevent yield loss by protecting products grown by women from natural conditions, and they can release these products to the market as natural products.
The project offered an opportunity for economic empowerment to women who are members of women’s associations and do not have a regular income. Thanks to the installed greenhouses, these women now have the opportunity to earn a sustainable income through greenhouse cultivation.
The project, implemented with TİKA’s support, contributed greatly to the economic independence of women farmers in Kakanj by increasing their production capacity.
